janus: search

Nanotechnology zippers for membranes

(Nanowerk Spotlight) Nanotechnology researchers have appropriated the name of Janus - the Roman god of gates and doorways, usually depicted with two heads looking in opposite directions - to name a class of amphiphilic (i.e. containing both hydrophobic and hydrophilic portions) nanoparticles composed of two fused hemispheres, each made from a different substance. Their particular structure makes Janus particles an intriguing subject for exploring novel anti-cancer therapies where they, for instance, carry two different and complementary medicines. In a novel use of Janus particles, researchers have now isolated a means of using them to make 're-sealable' pores in lipid bilayer membranes. Described in another way, the localization of the nanoparticles in the pore can be thought of as the placement of a zipper, which allows a specific slit

1 comment

eBay may not be too happy about the performance of Skype, but its co-founders have moved on to promising new ventures. Janus Friis tells Oliver Lindberg why online TV service Joost is all set to revolutionise the way we watch television

Search took 0.01 seconds.